Through losing him I realized at a very young age, that it was the sweet moments, the time I could never get back.

I might have pictures, or gifts he had given me, but I never could get back the time, that precious gift of time to spend with him.

If only I could just have 30 more seconds back to tell him once again how much I loved him, and how much I appreciated him.

As
hard as it was to no longer have my Dad in my life, I did learn a very
important lesson about time, and how you should spend it with the people
you love, and care about.

My other lesson was a happier lesson, and it came in the form of a little 6 year old boy.

We
had our boys, and their families here for some occasion, and all of the
girls were in the living room talking about, design, hair, make-up and
the latest fashions.

I
was in the middle of telling a story when my 6 year old grandson came up to me,
and asked me if I would play beach ball volley ball with him. I told
him, "sure, just give me a few minutes to finish my story."

Monday, December 29, 2014

During the Holidays when our home is full of family we like to set up a game table in the living room.

I
set up a 6ft long table, and put out games for anyone who likes to
play, or sometimes we bring in the games to the dining table in the
kitchen.

I find if the games are out and available they will play them more readily.

The
kiddos all have their phones and/or electronic devices to play games on
these days so I like to give them some hands-on games to play. It is amazing to me how much they seem to enjoy this family time.

This
year I purchased some new games since all of my kiddos are now getting
into the teen and pre-teen years. In my searching for new fun games I
came across a few winners that were a hit with young and old.

(Papa and my youngest Grandson playing battleship)

I think he just sunk one of Papa’s ships, and is very proud of himself!!

Tenzi
was probably the favorite by all. It is a fast moving dice game that
can be played by up to 8 players. We all had so much fun playing this
game!!

The
object of the game is to get the steel ball to Saturn without dropping
the ball. Since it is going up-hill it is all about control and gravity.
Very challenging and fun. It is a lot harder than it looks.

SUSPEND
is a really fun game that takes patience and finesse. No rushing in
this game, it is all about being able to balance the pieces without
making them all fall down.

It reminded me of Cirque du soleil at times. A game of concentration and strategy!

It looks like Papa is checking out the rules!

This
last game appeared to be easy, but in reality it was a bit tricky, and
it really showed us all how our minds could be fooled by what we were
looking at….

Friday, December 19, 2014

Yesterday was our annual Falalala day! You might be wondering what a Falalala day is???

It is a day that Dougie, and I take to absorb the Christmas sights, sounds and smells.

We are done with any pressure type shopping so we just take our time, and enjoy the sights and people.

As always we enjoyed each other, but to our surprise there was not a whole lot of Christmas spirit going on out there.

Not
the usual lights, or sounds. It made me feel a bit sad inside. I am
trying very hard to hold onto my Falalala spirit, but I am finding that
so many around me are just not feeling it this year.

I
am not sure if it is age related, or just the condition of our world.
Either way I am sad inside by it all. Even certain friends of mine are
not enjoying this beautiful season like they use too.

There are more excuses of WHY they are not doing, or more complaining about what they are doing than ever before.

I
struggle with the don’t want too’s just like everyone. However I will
absolutely fight against not enjoying a Holiday that is all about the
greatest gift of love that mankind has ever been given.

There
are so many emotions, and memories attached to this time of year, some
are better than others, but to be honest we all have to really put forth
an effort to remain in the spirit of this Holiday, and to not cave to
the way of the world.

It does not have to be a Hallmark movie to be wonderful. It just had to be made a little special with your very own touches.

Whether it is a small tree, or a wreath, a beautifully wrapped present, or a gift of generosity, it can all be wonderful.

Please don’t cave into the feelings of bah humbug, find what your own WONDERFUL is and celebrate that!!!

We all have choices, and I for one am choosing to remain in the spirit of my Christmas past, present and future.

A spirit of thankfulness for God sending his son to be born so that we all might be free from our sins by believing in him.

A
spirit of sweet family memories of smiling surprised faces on Christmas
morning. A spirit of delight in my family’s eyes when they see the tree
full of the memories of Christmas past.

Will
you join me in maintaining your Christmas Spirit, it does not have to
be big, grand, colorful, or even lively. It just has to be an attitude
of gratefulness and love. Love yourself enough to do something special
for you, and your loved ones.

Think about who and what you HAVE in your life NOW!!

It doesn’t have to be grand or extravagant, it just needs to feel a little special. Try some of the things I listed below:

Simple things like :

Candles lit throughout the day

A fire in the fireplace.

A wreath on the door ( they are everywhere, even the grocery stores)

Christmas music playing (Free on the radio)

Something hot to drink ( Hot milk and coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon)